Hot Mess Holiday

So tired of Hallmark films and no one on film looking like me or getting diluted by most of the other cast. Though I am not South Asian, the fact that there is film on traditions not based on everyday "American" Christmas/Holiday love stories, is a start to educating others what really does make up the real population in the US. The story transcends and speaks to other cultures just because it is different and reflective of what it is like to have an alt background to what is always on TV. And the film is good. Win-Win. I mean the UK brought on "Goodness Gracious Me" in 1996. This is 2021 - why has it taken so long. Time to get your stick on and watch Surina and Mel take charge.

Hot Mess Holiday is the buddy comedy that the world desperately needed. In genuinely hilarious performances from a star-studded ensemble cast, the holiday comedy delivers hilarious moments consistently from start to finish. The intelligently written, and consistent laugh inducing script paired an all-too-real buddy adventure comedy with a holiday classic vibes!

Hot Mess Holiday is a fresh take in a genre of comedy that desperately needed a refresher! Melanie and Surina play off of each other authentically, and the plot driven script keeps the audience guessing on what will happen next, from start to finish. The cast compliments each other nicely, with versatility and impeccable comedic timing!

Whether you're South Asian or not, it doesn't matter, this movie is about adventure, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself! The honesty of the story will keep audience members looking for a genuine story thoroughly entertained. If you love intelligently written adventure comedies with characters that make you laugh from your belly, well this movie is for you! If you buddy comedies, or love the holiday feels, or just want to feel the feels, then this movie is also for you!

With a virtually all Indian cast and crew, every Indian trope and caricature is here. Set during Diwali (a floating holiday that occurs in late October or early November) we still see Christmas decorations. Really? And the weather is all wrong as well. It has much energy, and the two female leads are pretty (esp. Melanie, a total smoke show) but this project is mostly slapstick, with not much new in the genre. Hey, it's a fun romp, and a change from all the usual holiday films, but it's not going to be a breakout moment for our two leading ladies. Try again.

So funny, I watched it twice. Proof that we need more voices like these!!! Melanie and Surina have great chemistry, and I hope to see more of them onscreen. Tons of fast-paced dialogue, irreverent jokes, and clever cultural observations. A must-see for Diwali!

Melanie (Melanie Chandra) and Surina (Surina Jindal) are twentysomething westernized Indian best friends. Things are going wrong. It's Diwali. Melanie is coming off a bad relationship and gets pulled into a search for a $12 million blood diamond.

With the presence of Kal Penn, this reminds me of Harold & Kumar. Melanie is Harold and Surina is Kumar. They're good together. I love their chemistry. Everything else is a half step below. On a side note, I expected the ladies to be the writers or at least two of the writers. I'm not throwing shade at Sameer Gardezi who seems to be a prolific TV sitcom writer. I just want more of their voices in the words. All in all, I would like these two ladies to be a comedic team in either more of their own movies or even as side characters in other movies.